Newser Story Index from November, 2008
Welcome to the Newser Story Index. Here you find stories written by Newser writers and editors, assembled with supporting photos and videos from the files of the news story.
Transition Time No Sweat for Podesta
Washington Post
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Nov 25, 2008 9:53 AM CST
(Newser) -
The man in charge of Barack Obama’s transition doesn’t just know where the levers of power are—he practically lives in the engine room. John Podesta is managing his immense task—juggling 30,000 resumes for 8,000 jobs, not to mention some big egos—with surprising calm, despite his reputation for a snappish temper. “Let’s...
Britney: 'I Feel Like an Old Person Now'
USA Today
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Nov 25, 2008 9:40 AM CST
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Britney Spears is picking up the pieces in her new—and incredibly micromanaged—life, USA Today reports. In an interview that hits stands Friday, the pop star tells Rolling Stone magazine, “I feel like an old person now. I go to bed at, like, 9:30 every night. I don't go out or anything.” But when she does, she's carefully...
Green Auto Industry at Odds With a Viable One
Washington Post
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Nov 25, 2008 9:27 AM CST
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Critics of Detroit complain that the stubborn Big Three are dying because they won’t make the energy-efficient cars people want. But it can take years for a new hybrid or plug-in model to become profitable, putting lawmakers' vision of a green auto industry at odds with their desire for a viable one, the Washington Post reports.
Winehouse Back in Hospital
Associated Press
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Nov 25, 2008 9:20 AM CST
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Troubled singer Amy Winehouse was back in the hospital Sunday following a bad reaction to medication, the AP reports. Sources told the Sun the real cause was a drink-and-drug binge following a “screaming row” with husband Blake Fielder-Civil, which ended with Winehouse collapsing in a seizure. A spokesman for the Grammy winner would not...
Stocks Keep Good Vibes Going
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 25, 2008 9:13 AM CST
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Stocks continued to rise at the open this morning, with the Dow climbing more than 100 points and the S&P gaining 1.5%, as investors cheered the Treasury and Fed’s new program to boost consumer credit, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Nasdaq, however, was off slightly. The Dow has gained 10% during the past two sessions, its fastest...
Debt-Laden Redstone May Sell Theaters
New York Times
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Nov 25, 2008 9:11 AM CST
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With debts threatening to consume his media empire, Sumner Redstone is considering selling his family’s 1,500-screen movie theater chain, the New York Times reports. But even that may not be enough to satisfy his bankers, say people briefed on the negotiations. If things get bad enough, Redstone may be forced to give up his majority stake in...
Let's Stop Piracy the Old-Fashioned Way
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 25, 2008 9:05 AM CST
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Rampant piracy this year has led to attacks on more than 90 ships, with two sailors killed, billions of dollars in cargo taken, and millions paid in ransom. The attacks keep coming, and “legal exquisiteness” prevents any “robust” action against them, writes Bret Stephens in the Wall Street Journal . It’s time to re-adopt...
Wall Streeters Question Geithner's Role in Crisis
New York Times
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Nov 25, 2008 8:51 AM CST
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Markets surged yesterday when Barack Obama announced that Timothy Geithner would become treasury secretary as part of an all-star economic team. But Wall Street actually harbors some skepticism about Geithner, writes Andrew Sorkin in the New York Times . As chair of the New York Fed, Geithner was the point man during the critical days when Lehman...
Boy George Beat Me: Escort
BBC
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Nov 25, 2008 8:38 AM CST
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Boy George handcuffed a male escort to the wall and beat him with a metal chain, a London court was told yesterday. Audun Carlsen said he was lured into a bedroom, where the singer, who is standing trial for false imprisonment, and another man beat him until he managed to escape, reports the BBC.
As Crisis Bites, UK Changes Stance on Tibet
New York Times
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Nov 25, 2008 8:25 AM CST
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Last month Gordon Brown called on China to pump more money into the International Monetary Fund, whose coffers are nearly bare as more nations succumb to the global financial crisis. Only a few days later, writes Robert Barnett in the New York Times , the British government quietly announced a change to a century-old policy: It explicitly recognized...
Who Will Carry the GOP Flag?
Washington Post
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Nov 25, 2008 8:11 AM CST
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No one has emerged as a clear-cut favorite to chair the Republican National Committee, writes Chris Cillizza in the Washington Post, but plenty of politicians are interested. Here’s a rundown on who has a hat in—or near—the ring: Mike Duncan : Many dismiss the current chairman’s re-election chances, but the committee...
Afghans Bust Schoolgirl Acid Attackers
Reuters
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Nov 25, 2008 8:00 AM CST
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Afghan officials have nabbed 10 Taliban militants accused of throwing acid in the faces of eight schoolgirls and four female teachers, Reuters reports. President Hamid Karzai called for their arrest and said the group would be publicly executed. “The attack was the work of the Taliban and we have not finalized our investigation,” said a...
Don't Feel Bad for $70M-Richer Ritchie
New York Post
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Nov 25, 2008 7:46 AM CST
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Guy Ritchie should have known what he was getting into when he married Madonna, writes Liz Smith in the New York Post . “She was the most famous woman in the world. Did he think that would change?” But Ritchie doesn’t need our pity. As for reports that he gets none of her fortune, "please!” The director will snag about...
Fed Launches $800B Programs to Unlock Lending
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 25, 2008 7:35 AM CST
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The Fed today unveiled a new $200 billion lending facility designed to thaw the freeze in consumer credit, the Wall Street Journal reports. The facility will lend to investors who want to buy securities backed by credit cards, auto loans, student loans, and loans to small businesses. The Fed also committed to buying up to $600 billion in debt issued...
Citi Rescue Could Lead to More Trouble
New York Times
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Nov 25, 2008 7:23 AM CST
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The Citigroup rescue bolstered confidence in the financial sector in the short term, but in the long term it could spell more trouble for taxpayers and other struggling banks, writes Eric Dash in the New York Times . Other banks will see the bailout as a template for future ones—giving them a backstop for risky plays and even a way to gain a...
Court Pokes Facebook Spammer for $873M
San Francisco Chronicle
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Nov 25, 2008 7:09 AM CST
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Facebook has won an $873 million judgment against a man accused of hijacking user profiles to spew spam, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The award—the biggest ever under federal spamming laws—was made against a Canadian citizen who Facebook accused of stealing login details to send more than 4 million messages; the spam advertised...
Thai Protesters Open Fire on Opponents
Reuters
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Nov 25, 2008 6:55 AM CST
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Protesters in Thailand seeking to bring down the government opened fire on a group of political opponents along a blockaded highway today, Reuters reports. Television footage showed at least two guards from the so-called People's Alliance for Democracy firing 6 rounds at government supporters. The incident took place along a blockaded highway to a...
Ex-Anchor Gets 6 Months for Hacking Colleague's Email
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Nov 25, 2008 6:40 AM CST
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A former Philadelphia news anchor has been sentenced to 6 months' house arrest for hacking into a colleague's email, reports the Inquirer . Larry Mendte admitted he logged in to co-anchor Alycia Lane's email hundreds of times and leaked information about her to gossip publications. He apologized yesterday to Lane, who sat in the courtroom, her...
Freed Hostages Blast Pirates
CNN
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Nov 25, 2008 6:28 AM CST
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Crew members freed from a ship seized by Somali pirates say they were harshly treated by their captors and lived in fear of being killed, CNN reports. The men, greeted by relieved friends and family when they arrived home in India, say they were constantly held at gunpoint in a small area of the bridge during the 2 months they waited for the $2.5 million...
Tough Love Only Option as Detroit Loses Friends
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 25, 2008 6:14 AM CST
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The retooling of America's political landscape has left Detroit painfully short on friends and settling for "tough love"—or no love at all—these days, Gerald F. Seib writes in the Wall Street Journal . Foreign automakers building plants in red states have become cozy with GOP lawmakers, while the Democratic support the Big...
Guess Where A-Rod's Spending Thanksgiving?
New York Post
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Nov 25, 2008 6:03 AM CST
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Alex Rodriguez will be spending the holiday with family—just not his own, the New York Post reports. The Yankee slugger’s wife told a friend, “My soul-less, soon-to-be ex-husband is abandoning his kids on Thanksgiving to be with Madonna.” Cynthia went on to describe the singer in “not so nice terms.” A-Rod will...
Bin Laden's Driver Leaves Guantanamo
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 25, 2008 5:45 AM CST
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Salim Hamdan, the former driver of Osama bin Laden and one of only two suspected terrorists convicted at Guantanamo Bay, is being transferred to his homeland of Yemen. Hamdan was sentenced in August to just 5 months' detention on top of the 5 years he served at the prison camp, far less than military prosecutors sought. The move may signal a concession...
Bush, Obama Team Up on Crisis
New York Times
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Nov 25, 2008 5:27 AM CST
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The federal government's response to the economic crisis is part of a team planning effort, with Barack Obama working closely with President Bush in a bid to bring confidence back to spooked financial markets, the New York Times reports. The president's aides are coordinating efforts with Obama's new economic team, and Bush has spoken directly with...
Palin's Top 10 Excuses for Ignoring Turkey Slaughter
Huffington Post
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Nov 25, 2008 5:05 AM CST
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David Letterman couldn't let news of Sarah Palin's gruesome turkey farm visit fly past him without comment, the Huffington Post notes. Palin pardoned one turkey but was oblivious to others being slaughtered behind her during a TV interview last week. Among Letterman's Top 10 purported excuses for Palin's disregard of the gorefest:
Breast Cancer May Vanish Without Chemo
Telegraph (UK)
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Nov 25, 2008 4:40 AM CST
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Breast cancer goes into spontaneous remission far more often than had been believed, a new study has discovered. Researchers found that a fifth more cancers were found in women screened every two years than in a group screened once in six years, leading them to conclude that many cancers may vanish on their own—and raising the possibility that...
Home for the Holidays: Florida Mulls Foreclosure Ban
Tallahassee Democrat
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Nov 25, 2008 4:10 AM CST
(Newser) -
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is considering a Christmastime moratorium on home foreclosures similar to the 90-day halt urged by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, reports the Tallahassee Democrat . Crist is unsure whether he has the legal authority to impose a moratorium. He may have to negotiate a halt with the state's lenders.
Hard Day's Night for Beatles iTunes Deal
Associated Press
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Nov 25, 2008 3:43 AM CST
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Don't expect to download Hey Jude any time soon. Negotiations between the Beatles' label, EMI, their holding company, Apple Corps, and Apple Inc. to release the legendary band's hits on iTunes and other internet music services have stalled, reports AP. Bad feelings remain between the two Apples over their long-running trademark dispute.
Houghton Mifflin Stops Accepting Manuscripts
Publishers Weekly
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Nov 25, 2008 3:21 AM CST
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has asked its editors to stop buying books, Publishers Weekly reports. The publisher already has plenty of works in the pipeline and the freeze is only temporary, according to executives, who offered no indication when it might be lifted. Still, it unsettled literary agents, who say they've never heard of such a dramatic...
Computers Goofed by 6,000 Miles on Quake
Los Angeles Times
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Nov 25, 2008 2:50 AM CST
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A huge earthquake under the ocean in one of the most remote parts of the planet was erroneously detected by US computers yesterday as tremors in California and Idaho, reports the Los Angeles Times . The US Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center corrected the error within minutes, but the goof-up underscores quake-reading computer...
Price Dispute Sinks TwitFace Merger Talks
All Things Digital
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Nov 25, 2008 2:18 AM CST
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Merger talks between Facebook and popular newcomer Twitter have ended without a deal, reports All Things Digital. Twitter wasn't satisfied with Facebook's offer of $500 million in stock, apparently concerned that the stock's valuation was too high, say insiders. Twitter also had concerns about how the two would integrate, and wanted to try building...
Minnesota Recount Mired in Challenges
Minneapolis Star Tribune
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Nov 25, 2008 2:00 AM CST
(Newser) -
The marathon recount in the Senate race in Minnesota is crawling toward a resolution with incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman still ahead of comedian-writer Al Franken by an estimated 210 votes out of 2.9 million ballots cast. The process has been further complicated as the number of ballots challenged by the candidates surged yesterday to 3,000,...
Small Donors Didn't Drive His Campaign: Study
New York Times
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Nov 24, 2008 9:12 PM CST
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The little guy didn't fill Barack Obama's campaign coffers after all, a new non-partisan study says. True, almost 50% of his donations were $200 or less, but many of those donors gave again. Only about a quarter of them stopped at two C-notes, a figure in the same range as donations to John McCain. About 80% of Obama's money came from people...
Astronauts Wipe Off Grime on Final Walk
Space.com
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Nov 24, 2008 8:32 PM CST
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Astronauts lubed a joint and wiped a solar panel clean today on the last spacewalk of the Endeavour mission, Space.com reports. The final repairs on the International Space Station took just over 6 hours but were cut short for astronaut Shane Kimbrough when carbon dioxide levels rose in his suit. Steve Bowen wrapped things up on the starboard-side...
Biden Adviser Tapped for Senate Seat
News Journal (Del.)
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Nov 24, 2008 7:50 PM CST
(Newser) -
A close Joe Biden aide will take the senator's seat until a special election in 2 years, the Delaware News Journal reports today. Gov. Ruth Ann Minner said she sought Biden's advice in naming Ted Kaufman, who is also a member of Barack Obama's transition team. Some say Kaufman is holding the seat for Attorney General Beau Biden to succeed his father...
Swayze Parties, Wraps Up Beast
Us Weekly
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Nov 24, 2008 7:18 PM CST
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Patrick Swayze wrapped up shooting for his TV show The Beast today after celebrating at a Chicago club. The cancer-stricken actor showed up at Underground last night with his wife, looking "relaxed, laughing easily," an eyewitness told Us . Scruffy-faced and casual in a hood and cap, he didn't circulate or stand but chatted as...
Bush Pardons 14 But Ducks Big Reprieves
Associated Press
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Nov 24, 2008 6:49 PM CST
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President Bush granted 14 pardons and two reduced sentences today but helped none of the high-profile figures seeking reprieves, the AP reports. In his first pardons since March, Bush forgave criminals convicted on charges of wildlife violations, tax evasion, and drugs. His two commutations were for men found guilty of cocaine offenses.
Good Samaritan Hits Thief With Frozen Fowl
News & Observer (Raleigh)
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Nov 24, 2008 6:15 PM CST
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A man armed with a frozen turkey helped hobble a carjacker yesterday in a North Carolina town, the News & Observer reports. The rescuer battered a crook as he attacked a woman in a grocery store parking lot. The robber jumped in her car, smashing into parked vehicles, and was soon pulled over by police. The woman sustained "fairly serious" injuries,...
Charity Guilty on All Counts of Terror Funding
Dallas Morning News
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Nov 24, 2008 5:39 PM CST
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A Dallas jury found a Muslim charity and its ex-leaders guilty today on three dozen counts of terror funding, the Dallas Morning News reports. A retrial of the biggest terror financing case in US history, the case hinged on $12 million sent by the Holy Land Foundation to Hamas after the US declared it a terrorist organization in 1995. Analysts...
Smile, NFL —You're in 3-D
Wall Street Journal
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Nov 24, 2008 5:05 PM CST
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The NFL is embracing new technology and exploring the possibility of broadcasting games in 3-D, the Wall Street Journal reports. Select industry insiders and executives have been invited to watch the Dec. 4 Chargers-Raiders game live at private screenings in theaters in LA, Boston, and New York. "We want to demonstrate this and let people get...
To Excel at State, Clinton Must Forget Presidency
New York Daily News
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Nov 24, 2008 4:30 PM CST
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Hillary Clinton has the potential to be a great secretary of state, but only if she once and for all shelves her presidential ambitions, writes Mike Lupica for the New York Daily News . We saw the best of Clinton when she was losing the primary marathon: “She not only found her voice, she looked about 10 times tougher and better than her husband.”...
Dow Up 397 on Positive News
MarketWatch
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Nov 24, 2008 3:22 PM CST
(Newser) -
Stocks rallied today in a vote of confidence for the $326 billion Citibank rescue plan and Barack Obama’s team of economic advisers, MarketWatch reports. Combined with Friday's surge, the rally was the largest 2-day jump in over 20 years. The Dow rose 396.97 points to close at 8,443.39. The Nasdaq surged 87.67, closing at 1,472.02, and the S&P...
Colmes Ditches Hannity, Will Remain at Fox News
Broadcasting & Cable
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Nov 24, 2008 3:16 PM CST
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After 12 years as co-host of Hannity & Colmes, the liberal half of the Fox News standby, Alan Colmes, will leave the show at the end of the year. He's working on a weekend show for the network, which will keep him on as a commentator, Broadcasting & Cable reports. "I’ll genuinely miss sparring with such a skillful debate...
Work Eases Madge's Tough Times
Associated Press
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Nov 24, 2008 3:10 PM CST
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Madonna is saddened by her impending divorce, but work motivates her to soldier on, she tells the AP. Though her split with husband Guy Ritchie weighs heavily on her, touring and promoting a new movie “provides a distraction that keeps me going,” the star said. She recently made a documentary, I Am Because We Are , about AIDS orphans in...
Punishment Fits the Crime for Colo. Noise Offenders
NBC 9 Colorado
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Nov 24, 2008 3:00 PM CST
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One Colorado judge has had it with teenagers making repeat appearances in his court for noise violations. So rather than issue a fine for mom and dad to pay, he’s devised his own punishment: Noise violators are forced to listen to an hour of gloriously un-hip music, from Barney to Barry Manilow, KUSA-TV reports.
Lame Duck Can Do More Than Just Quack
CNN
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Nov 24, 2008 2:47 PM CST
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Lame-duck presidents have made their share of last-minute legislative contributions, and the current lame duck need be no different, historian Julian E. Zelizer writes for CNN. “Bush does not have to sit on his hands until January 20,” Zelizer writes, and calls on him to “follow the tradition of lame-duck presidents who tried to make...
Single City Dwellers Are Often Happier, Healthier
New York
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Nov 24, 2008 2:34 PM CST
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Our stereotype of the single, lonely urban dweller is all wrong. City folk who live alone often lead happier, healthier lives than married couples do in suburbia, Jennifer Senior writes in New York . “There was a time when living alone meant you were a hopeless shut-in," writes Senior, who was on her own until she was 37. "But...
Saudis Go Hog Wild
Christian Science Monitor
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Nov 24, 2008 2:20 PM CST
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In the eyes of religious conservatives, this Saudi motorcycle gang may as well be the Hell’s Angels. But the Muslim professionals in the Riyadh Harley Owners Club do pull over to pray, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Despite the region's religious taboos, strict laws, and stereotypes, motorcycle riding is growing in popularity. The club...
Hills Stars Heidi and Spencer Marry in Mexico
Perez Hilton
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Nov 24, 2008 2:08 PM CST
(Newser) -
Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, the villainous couple many fans of MTV’s The Hills love to hate, got married in a spur-of-the moment ceremony in Mexico last week, PerezHilton.com reports. Montag, 22, and Pratt, 25, tied the knot in a 15-minute ceremony on a beach near Cabo San Lucas, but the celeb blogger is suspicious of the publicity hounds:...
GM Ends Woods Endorsement Deal
Detroit News
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Nov 24, 2008 1:43 PM CST
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General Motors is ending Tiger Woods' endorsement deal in an attempt to cut costs, the Detroit News reports today. Woods has been the celebrity face of GM’s Buick brand for 9 years, but his contract will expire Dec. 31. The golfer, whose wife is expecting their second child, says ending the deal will allow for more personal time with his family.
At More and More Colleges, SAT Is Now MIA
Boston Globe
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Nov 24, 2008 1:36 PM CST
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Colleges are fleeing the SAT, saying the standardized test is not a reliable predictor of academic success, the Boston Globe reports. But though a coalition is forming against the requirement, even doubtful admission officials see the need for a field-leveler for disparate applicants. “The SAT only measures how good you are at taking the SAT,”...
